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Ben stays healthy for 16 games this year?
Woodley gets back to 2010 ProBowl form?
Troy stays healthy all year?
Cortez Allen starts at CB and has a better year than Lewis did?
The O-line isn't decimated by injuries?
Worilds who's playing for a contract makes us forget about Harrison?
McLendon does his best Joel Steed imitation?
We get a bruising FA running back like Jackson or Greene?

What say you doom and gloomers?

I'm not a doom and gloomer, but I will say this: The top 5 on your list are very reasonable scenarios. The last three, not so much.

Ben stays healthy for 16 games this year?
Woodley gets back to 2010 ProBowl form?
Troy stays healthy all year?
Cortez Allen starts at CB and has a better year than Lewis did?
The O-line isn't decimated by injuries?
Worilds who's playing for a contract makes us forget about Harrison?
McLendon does his best Joel Steed imitation?
We get a bruising FA running back like Jackson or Greene?
What say you doom and gloomers?

Sadly, the one that made me gasp in exasperation was the Polamalu one. Even if you think he still has it, he certainly has proven that he isn't exactly the type to play through pain or recover quickly. (for godsakes--his '12 season was done-in by a twinge in his calf).

I'm down with the whole intent of this thread. Each NFL season is it's own unique entity. Just because injury and bad luck caused the team to underperform last season doesn't mean the same happens this year. We fought two absolute tooth and nail slugfests with the Super Bowl champs (Super Bowl champion Ravens... now THAT'LL make you throw up in your mouth).

Teams in the NFL are so even in talent these days that other factors go a long way in determining who ends up winning - which team is hot at the right time (given that the last 3 champs have been 10 - 6, 9 - 7 and 10 - 6 in the regular season, this one seems huge), great quarterback play (Eli, Rodgers, Brees, Ben, Peyton, Brady recently... Flacco has, unfortunately, done as much as Ben at this stage of his career to prove elite status as well), and strong coaching. We've got a Super Bowl winner and 2 time AFC champion coach, an OC who helped take the Arizona Cardinals (!) to the Super Bowl, and a DC who has had multiple #1 overall defenses.

Overall, I like our chances of putting together a run as much as I like just about anybody else's. Would I favor San Francisco, Denver, New England or Seattle over us to get there and win it at this point? Sure. But when is the last time the pre season (much less pre draft) favorite won the Super Bowl... without an asterisk?